YOUR CART

Please note: Violet + Rose gifted the product in this post for me to feature as their brand rep. All opinions are genuine and are my own.

With around a month to go until Christmas Day (!), I'm sure I'm not the only one looking for less stressful ways to buy gifts for family and friends. I'm also pretty sure that I'm not the only one who is keen to support small businesses as well. Last year I bought online for Christmas and it was the absolute best decision I've ever made. There is nothing better than knowing you don't have to face those Christmas shopping crowds (even in this small town!) and you can even wear your pyjamas if you want! Truth of the matter is, that while I didn't technically, quite leave things to the last minute last year - I was pretty darn close! This year, I want to do the same, but with a few tweaks. I'll still be ordering online but this year I'm hoping to get organised a tad sooner (fingers crossed.) I also want to support smaller businesses, crafters and artists. Mostly local, but definitely Australian and definitely not mass produced. I'm planning on checking out lots of Etsy stores and if I have time after school has ended for the year, I'm hoping to also get along to some local markets and see what I can see. That's a much nicer prospect to me, than schlepping around department stores and whatnot. A bit of market shopping I can definitely handle at this time of year. Instagram is also a goldmine for finding local and Australian-made gifts.

In the past, I have often included candles as gifts for loved ones, colleagues and neighbours. They're a good go-to kind of gift. At the time of writing, Violet + Rose has one of these beautiful mixed box sets left in their Etsy shop. In the box are four small, hand poured, soy wax candles. Each is 6cm in diameter and 4cm high, with a cotton wick. Before you even open the box, you are greeted with a unique blend of scents - carefully created by Jo in Melbourne. The fragrances in the mixed box are: Vetiver, Coriander and Lime; Ylang Ylang, Rose Geranium and Petitgrain; Frankincense, Rosemary and Lavender; and Cedar Wood, Juniper Berry and Grapefruit.

If you miss out on the mixed box, there are lots of other lovely options; the copperones in particular look very special - definitely something many of us would be happy to find under the tree on Christmas morning.

To keep up with what's available at this very busy time of year, check in with Violet + Rose's Facebook page and Instagram - both are updated regularly. If you'd like to read my earlier post about the Ylang Ylang, Rose Geranium and Petitgrain candle, you can find it here.